1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus for thermal treatment by means of irradiating lesions of body tissues with various forms of energies such as laser beams, microwaves, radio frequency, and ultrasonic waves.
2. Description of the Prior Arts
Various thermal treatment apparatuses have been known for treating lesions to reduce or eliminate them by means of heating, alteration, sphacelation, coagulation, cauterization or evaporation of lesions by irradiating them with energies, such as laser beams, microwaves, radio frequency, and ultrasonic waves, with a long main unit inserted into a human body either via a body cavity or an opening produced by a small incision.
A technique has also been known for treating a lesion hidden deep in an organ, such as prostate, by applying heat through energy irradiation. For example, the Published Japanese Translation of PCT Patent Application H6-510450 disclosed a technology for coagulating and reducing a tumor or a portion of the prostate tissue by means of laser beam irradiation. The feature of said technology is to heat mainly the inside of the prostate while avoiding the heating of the surface of the urethra that contacts a balloon by feeding a coolant into the balloon.
In the abovementioned thermal treatment apparatuses, it is mandatory to conduct image diagnoses of the tissues that include the lesions, which are the targets of thermal treatments, or their surrounding tissues, to know the shapes of the tissues including the lesions, their positional relations with the surrounding tissues, shapes of the lesions, and the graveness of the diseases. For such a diagnostic purpose, it has been customary to use apparatuses designed specifically for image diagnosis, i.e., separate units not included in said thermal treatment apparatuses.
Based on the result of such an image diagnostic apparatus and the experience of the operator, individual treatment conditions including the intensity (output) of the energy such as laser beam, microwave, radio frequency and ultrasonic wave, irradiation period, irradiation direction, irradiation position, number of irradiation applications, coolant temperature if a coolant is used, and coolant flow rate if a coolant circulation is used, are separately established.
In the thermal treatment apparatuses of the prior arts, it is necessary for the operator to understand the image diagnosis information and enter the treatment condition into the thermal treatment apparatuses. Therefore, the input work has been cumbersome, has taken a long time for the operator in preparation for a thermal treatment, and has generally caused a heavy burden on the operator.
The present invention is made considering the status of the prior arts and its object is to reduce the burden on the operator as the operator prepares for a thermal treatment by providing a thermal treatment apparatus for which a treatment condition can be set up according to the shape of the lesion of the patient.
The stated object can be achieved by a thermal treatment apparatus that conducts thermal treatments by means of irradiating living bodies with energy comprising: an energy supply means for supplying energy for treatment; an energy irradiating means for irradiating the supplied energy to a living body; a treatment planning means for setting up a treatment area to be irradiated by the energy as treatment area information; a setup means for setting up a treatment condition to be irradiated by the energy; an input means for inputting image information for diagnosis; an information overlaying means for overlaying the treatment area information already set up and the image information already inputted; and an information manipulating means for manipulating at least either one of the treatment area information or the image information.
The stated object can also be achieved by a thermal treatment apparatus that conducts thermal treatments by means of irradiating living bodies with energy comprising: an energy supply means for supplying energy for treatment; an energy irradiating means for irradiating the supplied energy to a living body; a treatment planning means for setting up at least two treatment areas to be irradiated by the energy; a selecting means for selecting a treatment area among the treatment areas already set up; a setup means for setting up a treatment condition to be irradiated by the energy.